KLEM News Update December 4, 2010

23 year old Michaela, 20 year old Adam and 14 year old Andrew are joined by their mom, Shelly, to create the 4 part harmony and instrumentation for the Branson-style Christmas show.

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Opera House president Doug Olsen says you'll hear traditional favorites like Sleigh Ride, O Holy Night, and Mary Did You Know- to more retro arrangements sounding like the Transyberian Orchestra on the violins.

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The Browns Christmas Show starts at 7:30pm at the Akron Opera House tonight. You can get tickets by calling 712-568-2614. Seats are $16 for adults and $10 for children. (News report by Angela Drake, KLEM News)

Lighted parade, Pioneer Village are holiday traditions in Le Mars

(LE MARS)--The lights and sights of the season are a returning tradition in Le Mars this weekend.

The annual Children's Lighted Christmas parade is at six this evening. Volunteers organize the annual holiday event and have an new addition to the floats filled with lights and movement to delight children and adults alike.

There's no pre-registration--lighted entries line up on Eighth Street and progress down Central Avenue.

This is the first weekend of the Pioneer Village Christmas on the Plymouth County Fairgrounds. The festivities include the Kiwanis Club's popcorn balls, live nativities, decorated trees, visits with Santa, and musical performances in Century Hall. Marshmallow roasts and horse-drawn wagon rides are traditional outdoor fun.

Hours are from 5:30 to 8:30 tonight, tomorrow night and the fun returns next Saturday and Sunday.

The Plymouth County Historical Museum hosts a Christmas open house Sunday afternoon from 1-5 with a museum manger of nativity displays and recognition for two centenarians, Margaret Spies and Frank Bogenrief, at two tomorrow afternoon.

Sinterklaas traditions celebrated in Orange City today

(Orange City) -- It's the Christmas season. All over you hear about Santa, reindeer and kids making their lists and checking them twice, but what about Sinterklaas, Piet (Pete) and wooden shoes full of hay and carrots? Sinterklaas Day is celebrated every year in the Dutch tradition in early December. Orange City will be holding their Sinterklaas festivities Saturday beginning at 3pm in Windmill Park.

Cheryl Buntsma is a member of the Dutch Heritage Boosters. She explains what families do to prepare for Sinterklaas.

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Sinterklaas and his helper Piet then give gifts, goodies and candies to the children who have been good, and the sticks to those who have been naughty.

Buntsma says that the origin of Sinterklaas is what really makes the day special.

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Festivities start at 3pm in Orange City's Windmill Park where a white horse will bring in Sinterklaas with Piet at his side. They will parade down to city hall where there will be many activities including Dutch games and a puppet show that celebrates and explains the meaning behind the holiday. All children will receive a treat from Sinterklaas. Following the celebration there will be a free will donation pizza party to benefit The Bridge. (News report by Angela Drake, KLEM News)

Paper recycling offered in Le Mars, Remsen today

(LE MARS)--Today is a day to recycle paper for school projects in Le Mars and Remsen.

The Le Mars Community Elementary Schools paper recycling project is this morning. Paper may be dropped off at O'Toole Park in Le Mars from 8-10 a-m. Other pickup sites are at the Struble and Craig Banks, the Brunsville Bank corners from 8-9 a-m.

The Remsen-Union Family Connection and St. Mary's School Board collect paper from 8-11 a-m at the Marion Street location.

The Gehlen Catholic Can Drive is this morning from 8 am to 10 a-m at the Elementary Building.

Feenstra to serve as ranking member on committee

(DES MOINES)--A committee that will be involved in drawing new map lines for elected offices will have a ranking member from northwest Iowa.

State Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull will serve in that role as a ranking member of the Senate State Government Committee.

Feenstra says the assignment is important to him explaining after the Census, Iowa will be redistricting. The process will move through the Senate State Government Committee. According to the Hull state senator, this will play a huge role in Iowa's dynamic political landscape.

Lawmakers convene January 10th.

Alons "disappointed" by Chief choice

(HULL) The choice of the new chief for the Iowa Supreme Court is a decision a Hull lawmaker describes as disappointing.

The remaining members of the state's high court have named Mark Cady as Chief.

Representative Dwayne Alons of Hull describes the chief's choice as "a slap in the face of the voters" who rejected Cady's written opinion on gay marriage.

Three justices were denied retention by the majority of voters last month.

Alons says Chief Justice Cady now has the opportunity to revisit that decision and make recommendation to the Legislature to uphold the Constitution of the state.

Iowa prison removed from lockdown after stabbings

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) The Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison where four inmates were stabbed earlier this week has been removed from lockdown status and is expected to return to normal operating status early next week.

The maximum security prison was placed on lockdown after the stabbings on Tuesday. Department of Corrections spokesman Fred Scaletta says only one of the inmates involved in the stabbing remains hospitalized.

He says a search of the full institution was conducted during the lockdown.

Scaletta says in a news release that no further information about the incident, motive or types of weapons that were used will be released because the investigation is continuing.

He says the prison moved from lockdown status to restricted movement on Friday with an anticipated return to normal status early next week.

2 charged with murder in Des Moines killing

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Des Moines police say two men are charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man whose body was found in a sport utility vehicle idling in a parking lot.

Police say charges were filed on Friday against Renard Andrews, who was previously arrested as a material witness in the case, and Orlando Hawthorne, of Milwaukee.

They are charged in the Nov. 18 death of LaCarlton Henderson, of Des Moines. Police say he was shot in the head.

Andrews remains in the Polk County jail on unrelated warrants. The sheriff's office says Friday that no bond had been set for Andrews on the murder charge. Officials did not know if he had an attorney.

Police say Hawthorne was arrested in Milwaukee, and is awaiting extradition to Iowa.

More charges filed against Iowa man shot by deputy

ALLISON, Iowa (AP) A man who was shot by a deputy after he allegedly attacked them with a chisel is now facing more charges.

The Butler County sheriff's office says Jeremy Jenkins was charged Friday with assault of a peace officer and going armed with intent. He had previously been charged with domestic assault.

Sheriff Jason Johnson says Jenkins ignored deputies' commands and attacked them when they approached him at a home in Shell Rock in northeast Iowa on Sunday. On Friday he revealed the weapon used by Jenkins in the assault was a chisel.

Johnson says Deputy Justin Trees was forced to shoot Jenkins to stop the assault. Trees was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.

Jenkins was taken to an area hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound. OFFICERS ASSAULTED

Teen accused of assaulting CR police

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) A 16-year-old boy who allegedly tried to escape a residential facility is accused of assaulting two police officers.

Police were called to Tanager Place on Thursday. Sgt. Cristy Hamblin told The Gazette that the boy tried to punch one of the officers and then kneed him in the waist. Hamblin says the other officer got the teen on the ground, but the boy continued to fight.

Three staff members helped the officers handcuff the boy. Hamblin says as the teen was being put in a squad car, he kicked one of the officers in the face. That officer suffered minor injuries. The other officer wasn't hurt.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Supreme Court has thrown out a Davenport man's drug conviction and ordered the charge be dropped because prosecutors waited too long to file the charge

The court ruled Friday that prosecutors failed to file charges against Jason Wing within 45 days of his arrest as required by state law.

Wing was arrested in July 2007 after a traffic stop in which police found a brick of marijuana in the car's trunk. Wing acknowledged the marijuana was his and he was given his rights, handcuffed and placed in the backseat of a patrol car. Charges were not filed until January 2008 and Wing was found guilty.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A report says selling state-owned land used in the prison farm program to help balance the budget may bankrupt the system.

The land has drawn interest as lawmakers look for ways to save money by reducing the size of government and its holdings.

Incoming House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, a Hiawatha Republican, says the issue is on the table.

The state's 10 farms have almost 4,900 acres of land, about 40 percent of which is rented. The Des Moines Register says a report Thursday by the Legislative Services Agency shows selling the land would likely bankrupt the programs that depend on the rental income.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) The University of Iowa wants to buy a bank building in downtown Iowa City as part of project to relocate its flood-damaged music school.

The music school and recital hall were closed after the 2008 flood

The Iowa City Press-Citizen says the university will ask the Iowa Board of Regents next week for the OK to buy the property for $3.1 million plus $350,000 for relocation costs. The issue is on the regents' agenda for next week.

The university plans to locate the music school in a planned high rise, which also includes residential and retail space. It will be connected by a skywalk to a second building for recital halls.

The project is estimated at $125 million.

Air Force: Iowa flyover may have been too low

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) An Air Force spokeswoman says pilots who conducted a flyover before Iowa's Nov. 20 football game against Ohio State may have violated a rule by flying that close to the ground without permission.

The flyover by four jets after the national anthem amazed the Kinnick Stadium crowd. Fans couldn't believe how close the jets came to the scoreboard, and many posted videos online.

1st Lt. Katie Roling, a spokeswoman for Vance Air Force base, says an investigation is looking into whether the flyover violated Air Force rules.

Maj. Chris Kopacek told The Des Moines Register in an article published this week they had clearance to fly at 500 feet. Roling says that permission was never granted and the flight should have been at least 1,000 feet above ground level.